The Storm of Shadow
by Siamese Kitty
Summary: Ashfang was a loyal deputy of FrostClan. He obeyed the warrior code to a T. However, like all rules, there are grey spots. And sometimes, these spots can be deadly.


**Huge thanks to my beta, Hannah! Also known as Ruining Hopes and Dreams. ****I tackle you with a fluffy of claws! ****She's helped me so much on my grammar, and occasional spelling mistake. Read her stories. They're all really good. Kinda sad, but read them!**

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**For WillowClan's monthly writing challenge.**

**Prompt: **

_"Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least."_

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

**Without further ado, let the story, begin!**

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Outside the medicine cat den, a white-furred tom paced the entrance agitatedly. The rest of the Clan gave him a wide berth so as to not irritate the nervous warrior.

He almost pounced on Cloudleaf as she exited the den.

"She's alright, the kit's healthy." She had enough experience to know all he needed was comfort. "You may go in now." Before she had finished talking, Ashfang was off like a frightened mouse.

"Snowfeather?" he breathed, looking at her all over. "Are you all right?"

Snowfeather blinked sleepily and gently pushed a bundle of grey fur towards him. "Here's your kit, our kit. Isn't he adorable?"

"He looks a little like a storm cloud." Ashfang gently licked the newborn kit's ear and he was rewarded with a gentle mewl. "I think we should call him Stormkit."

"Stormkit," Snowfeather whispered to the kit. "Stormkit." Stormkit mewled hungrily and Snowfeather gently nudged the kit down to feed. Ashfang started to groom his mate, purring and relaxing now that the 'danger' was over.

* * *

Ashfang held a moss-ball up in the air and purred with delight when little Stormkit managed to bat it.

"I'm going to be an amazing warrior when I grow up!" Stormkit puffed out his chest, looking so much like a miniature storm cloud that Ashfang had to stifle a chuckle. His grey fur was sticking up at odd angle and the kit puffing out his chest just emphasised the round shape of a cloud. Coupled with his grey fur, it was a very amusing sight indeed.

"Of course you will, but you have to get a mentor first!" He ruffled the little kit's head with his paw. "And to get a mentor, you have to grow up first!"

Stormkit growled a little and pounced on his father's paw. Ashfang looked at him fondly, before making Stormkit squirm by stroking the kit's stomach.

"Ashfang!"

The cat in question turned around to see that Icestar had called him. He cocked his head to the side curiously.

"I need you to run a patrol around the border."

Ashfang looked forlornly at Stormkit forlornly. He still wanted to play with his kit but the Clan came first. He sighed and gently nudged Stormkit towards the nursery.

"You're not playing with me?" Stormkit's ears drooped.

Ashfang opened his mouth to reply before Icestar interrupted him. "Your father has important business to take care of. Why don't you run along and play with the other kits?" Without waiting for an answer, the blue eyed leader flicked his tail in dismissal and walked away.

Ashfang sighed before picking the kit up by the scruff of his neck.

"Is it really important, Ashfang?" Stormkit hung from his dad's mouth.

"It is kind of," Ashfang mumbled around him. "Go on, why don't you play with your mother?"

Stormkit dropped from his dad's mouth and bounded away, into the nursery. Ashfang watched him go wistfully. He shook himself slightly and took off towards the Clan borders.

* * *

As Stormkit grew up, Ashfang was never there to play with him. Stormkit grew up and the only cat he had to rely on was his mother. His mother, who looked at FrostClan's leader with so much resentment and anger. As a kit, Stormkit naturally only interpreted that it was Icestar's fault that his dad was never around. He began to hate the leader with as much passion as a kit could. He closed off from everyone else.

Ashfang knew something was wrong with his kit. He tried to talk to him. Tried to find time to evade Icestar and actually spend some time with Stormkit. Every time though, Icestar would be sending him to one mission, then the next. Whether it was something like a little patrol or something big like the invasion by the rogue group known as 'Shadow', there was never enough time for Stormkit.

Shadow was a rogue clan that recently formed when Shadowstrike, a warrior of NightClan, had tried to challenge his leader and was exiled. He formed a group known as Shadow and they were a vicious bunch. Ashfang grimaced, remembering one encounter he had with the ex-NightClan warrior. However, now that the rogues seemed to be peaceful, Ashfang guessed that he must have been overthrown. In any case, it was no problem of his, Ashfang thought as he set off on patrol.

* * *

Stormkit watched Ashfang walk towards the camp entrance and suddenly he felt unneeded. His was tired of never seeing him. _Maybe if I become a strong warrior he'll pay more attention to me_! Stormkit thought, following Ashfang out of the camp. A pair of ice blue eyes followed the bundle of fluff, but they didn't move to stop the kit. After a while, the eyes closed sleepily and the owner walked back towards his den.

Stormkit ran as fast as his little legs could as he struggled to keep his eyes on his father. Eventually, the inevitable happened. He lost sight of him. Stormkit froze with fear as he finally took in his surroundings. Tall, imposing trees surrounded him at every angle. His nose, unaccustomed to smelling anything other than FrostClan cats, reeled at the sensory overload. His ears twitched, uncontrollably latching on to every single noise. Only one noise caught his attention. A gentle hissing sound.

_Ssss…_

The noise made Stormkit stand freeze with fear. He had no idea what the sound was but some inbred instinct told him that it was dangerous.

_Ssss…_

Soon, he saw the forked tongue. The tongue that was flicking in and out. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to run. He just stood still and watched the snake come closer and closer.

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A yowl of pain echoed through the Shadow camp. Ears pricked and bodies tensed. Years of starvation and cruelty had caused them to be cautious, and it hadn't disappeared.

A dark grey coloured tom, who sported many scars, raised his head sharply. His eyes caught those of his deputy—a black she-cat—and they ran off to investigate the noise.

They made no noise as they ran.

Soon they saw two cats standing over a small grey thing. They inched closer and were delighted to see the adder that had been eluding them for a moon lying dead on the ground nearby.

Shade stopped for a while and let the tom see him before speaking up. "Are you a rogue?"

Ashfang let out a harsh bark of sarcastic laughter, "If I was part of a Clan before. Not anymore." The she-cat, who Night quickly identified a she-cat named Snowfeather, sobbed quietly. She took a closer look at what they were protecting and saw a little kit. Barely of an apprentice age, lying there, on the cold, hard forest floor, not moving, not breathing.

"What is he doing here? I assume you are a member of FrostClan," Shade hissed. "Your Clan is big enough to be able to keep an eye out."

Snowfeather wailed again while Ashfang growled loudly. "That piece of fox dung, he let my kit walk out of the camp! He just watched, as my poor kit, my poor kit wandered to his death. I should never have—"

Shade almost vibrated with anger. If Icestar wanted a war, he'd get a war. Bringing a kit in such a petty dispute was too much. "Night, tell the rest of the Clan that we march at dawn. They've taken this fight for territories too far. We're going to battle."

"March where?"

"The FrostClan camp." Shade hissed.

* * *

Icestar lazily opened one eye when he was disturbed of his sleep by Bluepelt.

"The rogues are attacking!" Bluepelt barged into his den.

Icestar yawned, "Honestly Bluepelt, when I promoted you to deputy, I didn't want you to disturb me."

Bluepelt cringed slightly and wondered yet again where Ashfang had gone to. As her mentor, he had drilled the warrior code into her and it was not like him at all to not come back after patrol. Especially when Snowfeather had rushed off after a fight in this den. It was not healthy for the Queen or her kit.

She shook off the thought however when she saw that Icestar was still waiting. "Shadow is here. They're very angry." _And scary_, Bluepelt thought, shuddering inwardly.

Icestar's tail flicked dismissively before stalking out of his den. He stood outside and realised that Shadow consisted of a few scrawny looking cats. He let out a mrrow of laughter and walked right up to the Leader. "Why hello there, Shadestar. How nice of you to join us."

Shade didn't dignify or correct Icestar on the use of the Clan title. All he did was leap, his claws leaving a long, bloody gash on Icestar's face. Icestar let out a hiss of pain before he pounced. Cats from both sides sprang into action and FrostClan's camp became a killing zone. At first, FrostClan cats were confident that victory would be theirs. After all, they were only a bunch of scrawny rogues. What harm could they do? But there was something the Clan cats didn't factor in. Rogues spent their entire life, fighting for their prey, fighting for their territory, fighting for their freedom. Their whole life was riddled with past regrets and thoughts of revenge. The Shadow cats fought back with equal power.

Suddenly, more of the Shadow cats sprang from hiding. They had been commanded to lie there by Night. She wanted to give the Clan false confidence before she attacked.

Icestar and Shade barely glanced at the mayhem around them. They circled each other, looking for weaknesses and opportunities. "Oh Shadestar, leader of the rogues. How utterly charming."

Shade swiped at Icestar and hissed lowly, "The name is Shade. And you know why I'm here."

Icestar nimbly jumped out of the way before feigning left and catching Shade on the stomach. "Oh do enlighten me, my dear friend."

"You want me to enlighten you, do you?" Shade stalked closer and closer, swiping every time Icestar got too close. "You're an ambitious little kitten, aren't you? Wanting to expand your territory, trying to take over the Shadow camp? I was happy to play with you, little Icekit. However, you have gone too far this time!"

Icestar's eyed shone with undisguised rage, yet he was still trying to taunt the rogue leader. "Oh you heard about that? Poor little Stormkit. How sad, he bounded out of the camp before I could even call him back! I opened my mouth to call but alas," Icestar shook his head sadly, "he was gone. Dead."

* * *

Ashfang had been steadily creeping closer and closer to Icestar as the battled waged on. He had no intent to fight anyone but the FrostClan leader. His only thought was revenge for his kit. When he caught the last sentence of what Icestar said, he felt a wave of hatred and anger roll over him. He could feel the instincts he had inherited from his ancestors awaken as he roared his anger to the sky.

With the advantage of surprise he ran at Icestar and clawed his side. Icestar couldn't even blink before a flurry of claws and teeth lashed out at him. But he hadn't become leader for nothing. He retaliated, clawing at the rage-filled Ashfang.

Soon their battle became yowls of pain between flashes of claws and blood. Icestar reared on his hind legs, slashing wildly at Ashfang. But Ashfang was no fool. He was a tough deputy and a smart cat. Quickly, he reached out and dived underneath Icestar, slashing the leader's vulnerable stomach with his claws and teeth.

Ashfang scrambled from under Icestar as he felt him collapse.

Icestar's body lay on the ground, shuddering as he went back and forth. However a wound this big, even StarClan wouldn't be able to heal it. He had enough energy though to throw out one more scathing comment.

"It wasn't my fault you know. He chased _you _out of camp. It was _you _who didn't spend time with him. It was _you _who killed him." Icestar laughed manically before his last life left him.

* * *

All was silent in the FrostClan territory. Their leader was dead and no one wanted to step up to take his place. Soon however, the elders and the medicine cat would step in and take control. Their wisdom and StarClan would guide them, helping them repair the broken Clan.

However, no one could fix Ashfang's broken heart. His kit had died. Chasing after him. Something that was most dear to him, the most precious thing in the world, died because of his negligence. Because of his 'duty' to the Clan.

The thing that mattered most to him had died at the mercy of something that had never really mattered at all.

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**So, what did you think?**

**Leave a review so I can improve~**

**Siamese**


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